Stand Clear of the Closing Doors, Please
by lilyandjames103181
Summary: James quite literally runs into Lily on the train, he's intrigued, and she's annoyed. Story of their first meeting. AU.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N**: so this is my first fic ever! It's probably not that great but the idea just popped into my head, and I'd been reading Jily fics for a while and I had to write it!

It is AU, I think a non-Hogwarts setting gave me more freedom because most people have exhausted the options at Hogwarts and since I'm new to this it helped me to put it into an environment I know well.

I tried to focus on their different characters and dynamics, if you think I did that well I've accomplished my goal!

PLEASE review because its my first ever fic!

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"Wait no – shit! We're gonna be late!" yelled James Potter as he dashed down the stairs of the R train platform at 49th Street. There was a train waiting there and he could hear the muffled voice of the conductor saying "Next stop – Times Square, 47th Street. Stand clear of the closing doors, please." Weaving in and out of the crowded platform where people were waiting for the N train, James rammed his shoulder into the closing doors. They bounced open again and he and his best mate Sirius Black darted through the momentarily accessible train car. James stumbled over the duffel bag of a construction worker and ran _smack _into a young woman reading her book.

"Oh hey – sorry bout that," said James with a casual apologetic smile as Sirius chortled at his mate's clumsiness. He looked up and did a double take. Staring back at him were the most startlingly brilliant green eyes of a vivid redheaded, narrowed in disgust. Her bag had fallen on the ground, and its contents – the New York Times, a clunky iPod classic, a leather bound journal, several pens, a wallet, sketchbook, and a set of colored pencils – had fallen onto the dark, disgusting floor of the train car. The train gave a lurch and all her pencils and pens began to roll underneath the passengers' seats.

"Watch it!" she snapped. "Look what you've made me do. And I've lost my spot in the book!" she added angrily, holding _The Great Gatsby_ by F. Scott Fitzgerald. James noted that she too, was British. He and his mates were in New York City for 3 weeks during the summer to visit their friend Remus' cousins in New York City with him.

"Er, I can help you clean this mess up," said James uncomfortably. _What was up with this bird? _He wondered. _Alright, I did just ram into her, but most of them just giggle. _He leaned down to pick up her colored pencils and put them carefully back into their box, struggling to not fall over on the swaying train. He reached for her journal, but she swatted away his hand.

"I've got that, thank you very much," she snapped. Her sketchbook had fallen open and James saw that she had drawn an amazingly beautiful landscape that he thought was familiar but couldn't quite place. There were many leafy green trees, with a small nook where three of them grew very close together, the perfect spot for a picnic. A small pond nearby had a petite, maybe 3 foot, waterfall that spilled into it. He handed it to her.

As she put the rest of her things into her bag, James studied her. Her green eyes were just as shocking as they were when he first saw her. Her skin was a pale, milky white and freckles dotted the bridge of her nose. Her hair reached the middle of her back and fell in beautiful, wavy sheets. Her arms and fingers were slender but not stick-thin. Her hips were not as wide as most women, but her waist was slender and her chest full yet not overwhelming. Blushing slightly, James tore his eyes away from her, and looked back at the book she was reading.

Clearing his throat, he inquired, "Is it any good?"

"Sorry?" said the girl, looking up from her bag. From her posture, it was clear she thought their encounter was over. But James was interested by her intelligent face and graceful demeanor. She could draw, too. Nervously, he ran his fingers through his hair.

"Uh, the book. I haven't had the chance to read that one yet. Is it a good read?" he repeated.

"Mm, yes and no. It's captivating certainly, and the ideas profound, but not my cup of tea." She then opened her book again and began to sift through the pages to find her spot. James recognized that as the end of the conversation and let out a breath he didn't know he'd been holding. He realized there was disappointment festering in his stomach, a feeling, being a rich London prep kid, he didn't get very often. Acknowledging defeat, he walked over to Sirius, who promptly smirked when he saw him.

"She's a devil woman, see that red hair? You'd never get her to go on a date with you in a million years, and even then, I think her deviousness – is that even a word? – anyway, her deviousness or deviosity or whatever combined with yours would be just too much for America to handle."

"Thanks Padfoot, mate. You really know how to cheer a bloke up," said James.

"Why'd you need to be cheered up? You can't possibly be depressed because some bird was bitchy because you almost ran her over?" said Sirius.

"Yeah, I can. She's different from other girls, Sirius. I can tell. Special."

"Prongs. That is a way, way, _way _too serious thing for you to say about a girl. You don't even know her. And like I said, she's Satan's wife, so she wouldn't have you anyway."

James let out a frustrated sigh and got up to look at the subway map on the wall.

Lily Evans, the girl James had run into, was meanwhile listening to the conversation between the two boys. At first, she thought the first one, 'Prongs' (she sincerely hoped that was a nickname and not his real name) would be just as arrogant as his mate, 'Padfoot.' But then he said that about her, and Lily was curious. She didn't like the way the first boy had behaved when he'd run into her, but she sneaked a glance at him. He was tall and lean. His hair was jet black and extremely unruly, she watched as he ran his fingers through his hair, the same way he had when he'd asked her about the book. Glasses sat on his – she hated to admit it – quite attractive face. His tight, red, V-neck t-shirt showed his muscled chest and arms. Blushing slightly, Lily tore her eyes away from him. He was a prat after all. An insensitive toerag. He probably just wanted to shag her, 19 or 20 year old boys couldn't be that deep about a girl they'd only just met – no, _ran in to_ – it just wasn't possible.

Soon it was her stop, and Lily walked towards the doors of the train car as it slowly rolled into the station. She glanced at her watch. She was right on time, she was supposed to meet Alice and Marlene in 10 minutes. She and Marlene were visiting Alice in America after her dad made them move when he got a job in New York City. She looked back over her shoulder at the bespectacled boy, and to her surprise, his face was mere inches away from hers.

"Oh, sorry!" said James, and he genuinely looked it as he tried to step back against the crowd pushing him towards the doors.

"Not following me, are you, Master of Grace?" said Lily, immediately regretting it. Why was she talking to him like they were mates? They barely knew each other.

"Nah," he said. "You'd probably sue me for stalking, and I don't much fancy being help up in America for months during the trial," he added, sending a brilliant smile at her.

_Huh,_ thought Lily. _He's clever. _She narrowed her eyes at him, suspicious. _He's still a git Lily, get a grip on yourself!_

"Well, it was nice, um, meeting you, I guess?" she said. He was about to reply but the train doors slid open and she stepped out, smiling to herself. She climbed the steps and played the encounter over in her head. On the one hand, he was an idiot, on the other, a charmingly witty boy.

_Oh well. It doesn't matter. Why am I trying to sort out my feelings for him if I'm never going to see him again? _Lily chastised herself.

James and Sirius climbed the steps after her, Sirius still rolling his eyes and shaking his head at his mate's hopeless attraction to the girl. He supposed it was her red hair, but he didn't see what else was so captivating about the irritable young lady. He glanced at his watch and saw that they were already 15 minutes late.

"Prongs, mate, Moony's gonna kill us if we're any later, you know he was planning to introduce Dorcas to us today."

"Since when have you been courteous?" James replied curiously.

"Well, for starters we're already 15 minutes late, and it'll be 20 once we get there. Secondly, since he threatened to send those drunk pictures of me to Chelsea, and I need a date to the party when we get back home," said Sirius, grinning at James.

"You're unbelievable. Alright, let's go."

They jogged to the restaurant and took a shortcut through the lobby of a building that took up an entire block. They found their seats and greeted Remus, Peter, and Dorcas.

"What kept you?" asked Peter.

"James fell in love with Fiend Woman on the underground and they had married and had five children, so we got held up," interjected Sirius before James even opened his mouth.

Remus and Dorcas raised their eyebrows questioningly at James, while Peter chortled in his seat.

"_Not _true," retorted James, though he was having trouble not laughing himself. "I just bumped—"

"You mean _ran over_!" exclaimed Sirius.

"—bumped into a, as Padfoot neglected to mention, _attractive_ redhead who is _not _the devil's mistress and who was in quite a bad mood because I'd also knocked down her bag and lost her page in _The Great Gatsby,_" finished James. "But it doesn't matter now because I'll probably never see her again."

"Not what you said on the train! You said 'oh, she _different _Padfoot, I can tell! I want to marry her…I loooooooooooove her," said Sirius smirking.

"Shut up, or _I _will send those drunk pictures to Chelsea," said James.

"Enough!" exclaimed Remus. "Guys, this is Dorcas. I met her at my summer job at the coffee shop downtown. Dorcas, these are my idiot mates, James Potter and Sirius Black. They've come with me to America to visit my cousins who live in Brooklyn. They're renting a flat for 3 weeks while we're here because I think they'd drive my poor aunt and uncle crazy," finished Remus with a smirk.

"Nice to meet you guys. All the British accents, this is great," said Dorcas with a smile towards the guys.

Just then Lily walked into the restaurant and saw the 5 of them sitting at the table. She stopped in her tracks clutching her chest. Luckily, the two boys she'd seen on the subway were facing away from her. She saw Marlene and Alice waving at her. _Oh God. To walk to them I'm gonna have to walk past him._

Knowing she had no alternative, Lily walked confidently but quickly to her friends. _Calm, Lily. This isn't a big deal. _

Unfortunately, James noticed. "Hey Red! Now look who's following who!" he exclaimed as she (accidentally of course) brushed past him.

Inwardly, Lily groaned. Damn his attractiveness. She turned and said, "Watch it – _Prongs_!"

"Aha! So you pay attention to my conversations! You know my nickname! I knew you couldn't resist me. You were all over me on that train," he said with a grin. Sirius wolf-whistled and Peter and Remus chuckled. Dorcas looked puzzled. Lily flushed deep pink and practically stomped over to her friends.

"What the hell was that all about?" asked Marlene immediately.

"Umm, that bloke ran me over on the train on my way here and is unfortunately attracted to me and thinks I return the sentiment. Which I do not. He's a complete idiot," she added quickly.

"Are you sure? He's mighty good looking. Fit, too," quipped Alice.

"Oh shut it, you. Aren't you supposed to be my kind, sympathetic friend? Marlene's the gossip queen," huffed Lily angrily. She turned to look at the boy to find him still staring at her.

"Bloody hell. I can't concentrate!" she said.

"See? He's got you unnerved!" cried Marlene with a wink.

"Not so loud Marls! I don't want him to get ideas. Ugh. I'm just gonna – er – go to the loo. Be right back."

Lily leapt up from the table, still blushing, and walked over to where it said restrooms. Not five seconds after, James jumped up too, mumbling something about the restroom. His friends all snickered, while Alice and Marlene tried to cover their giggles.

Luckily for Lily and James, the hallway to the restrooms was long, which gave James plenty of time to catch up to her and grab her by the arm. Against her better judgment, she stopped and turned around.

"Hey. I'm sorry if you think I'm a twat, but – er – I'm not a total prick – I mean to say – ugh damnit. Give me a chance?" he asked hopefully.

"Look – I don't even know your name—"

"We can change that!"

"No. I'm not interested. You just embarrassed me in front of my friends and 4 other people I've never met before. I've spoken a total of maybe 15 sentence to you, you are a prat and you're arrogant, and I shouldn't be saying those types of things to a person _I don't even know_ but you've got me all wound up – and I'm just not interested." With that, Lily pushed open the door to the women's restroom and left a slightly dumbstruck James there.

Recovering quickly, he pulled an old receipt from the pocket of his jeans and quickly scribbled a note. He walked back to his table, and dropped the piece of paper onto Lily's seat. Ignoring the questioning looks of his mates, he slipped back into his chair, shot a glare at Sirius (who was the most likely to question him further) and waved the nearest waiter over so they could order food. Taking their cues from James, none of them said anything, not even Sirius.

Lily waited a full five minutes before leaving the women's room. Cautiously, she opened the door. Relieved that the boy wasn't there, she walked back to her seat, looking determinedly anywhere but at his table. When she got to her seat, she saw the folded up note. Smiling at Alice and Marlene to assure them everything was alright, Lily slipped the note into her pocket to look at later. Despite what she had said to the boy, she was curious, and loathe as she was to admit it, attracted to his relentlessness. She stole her chance when Alice and Marlene were examining the menus, discussing the different types of salmon plates.

On the back of a grocery store receipt, he had scribbled:

_Hey – I realize we've gotten off on the wrong foot. _

_But I'm incredibly intrigued by you and I'd like to know more. I understand if you hate me, but if you are willing to give me another chance, give me a call. I'll gladly buy you coffee._

_909 909 9009_

_x James (now you know my name) Potter_

Lily sighed and pocketed the note once more. Although in her head, she'd told herself she was going to think this over and most likely burn the note, her heart told her that she already knew she was going to call. After all, this James Potter intrigued her, too.

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Ok! Hope you like it! **_Please review! :)_**

I will review any Jily fic! :)

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THIS COULD BE A MULTI CHAPTER. I purposefully left the end like that, so it could go either way. If you want to see more, tell me! But it can also be left as is. I only marked it as complete so that people would read it. ;)

I know the America/Britain stuff was sort of implausible but bear with me. I really felt like putting them in New York City.

JAMES' PHONE NUMBER IS MADE UP. DO NOT CALL IT AND ASK FOR JAMES POTTER. :) I just didn't want to leave it as 555-555-5555 because that just looks soooo fake.

Thanks a million for reading!

-N


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N:**  
Some of this chapter is a bit dry, but I had to get all that stuff out of the way before I get to the more exciting part in the rest of the fic.  
Football = soccer, DRJ Software is not a real company.  
London University and Bristol University don't really matter, just names. Even if they are real universities, just ignore that. :) I know, I'm extremely creative.

Enjoy and **review!**

Disclaimer**: **Obviously not mine. C'mon.

* * *

It was a Saturday morning and James Potter had really been looking forward to sleeping in before the basketball game Remus was dragging them to that day.  
He rolled over and glanced at his alarm clock. 8:30. Perfect. That meant at least another two hours of sleep. Usually, James woke up around 6am for football practice before classes (and more practice after). In New York, he'd also been rising early because they'd had so much to do. Finally, today all they had was the stupid game after a week of intense sightseeing, with Sirius making obscene hand gestures and demented faces in front of every monument and attraction and trash can on the corner.  
Just then, a melodious sound interrupted his happy thoughts. Crossing his fingers that it was from the mysterious redhead (it had been three days already!), James leapt out of bed and grabbed his phone.

It was from Sirius.  
_-went out for an early motorcycle ride, u know moony doesnt approve cuz he thinks im gonna crash it (actually a fair pt) but i figured this is my only chance to see harlem since it scares the crap out of wormtail. be back in an hr or so. dont miss me too much  
_James quickly scanned the message and set his phone down. Now that he was already awake he probably wasn't going to fall asleep again. Peter was still sleeping (of course) and Sirius' bed was deserted. Sighing, he reached for his glasses (in his haste to check his phone he hasn't bothered) and dragged himself to the dresser. Barely two seconds later, a chime interrupted his brooding. James didn't dare get his hopes up, it was probably just Sirius asking James to make him an omelet or Dorcas fretting over what to get Remus for their 5 and 3/4 week anniversary. An unfamiliar number popped up on his screen and James tapped on the message.  
_-It's Evans by the way. Lily Evans._  
James' heart nearly leapt into his throat. She. Had. Texted. Him. Him, James Potter.  
He wasn't sure what to write back. He didn't want to sound cocky, but just a 'hey' was pathetic...  
Another chime interrupted his pondering.  
_-Also comb your hair, it annoyed me._  
James grinned and began to type back.  
-_Why do you care, it's not like you have to see it any—wait, are you suggesting that you plan to see me in the near future?  
_Hoping that didn't sound too obnoxious, he hit send.

Meanwhile, in her bedroom, Lily was biting her lip and waiting for James to write back. It had been two minutes already — was this a bad idea? _Yes Lily this is a terrible idea. It's probably better if he __**doesn't**__ respond._ He didn't live in New York and neither did she. If she — God forbid — began to fancy him, where would they be? But even with the slim chances that would happen, why on earth was she willing to get coffee with a clumsy boy who ran her over? _Not usually how happy relationships begin, you know,_ she told herself.  
-_Why do you care, it's not like you have to see it any—wait, are you suggesting that you plan to see me in the near future?_  
Rolling her eyes, she began to type back:  
_-Wasn't that the whole point of you giving me your number? I'm not interested in a cyber-relationship!_  
Regretting that the moment she hit send, Lily flopped back down on the couch in Alice's living room. Luckily, Alice had a yoga class at 8:45 and had long since left, and Marlene had gone home with a guy she'd met at a bar (Lily and Alice had double and triple checked that she wasn't completely smashed before letting her go with Benjy, whom she'd sworn she'd met before and who seemed gentle enough, and they also threatened him with Alice's two older brothers who had both served in the army). No doubt Lily would be getting plenty of graphic details later this evening. But since Marlene wasn't likely to be home until the afternoon and Alice had cycling, kickboxing, and dance classes that day — Saturday was sweet little Alice's exercise/monster transformation day — Lily figured today was her best shot at having a normal — get together — with James.  
In his flat, James was still standing in nothing but his boxers staring at his phone, just _waiting._ Finally, he got Lily's message and smirked. This one called for at least _some_ of his James Potter charm & wit.  
-_So you do want a relationship! I'm flattered. My dating profile name is devilishleyhandsomeandgracefulbloke. ;) I'll see when I can get back to you, but it will be within 7-10 business days._  
Hoping she wouldn't explode, he hit send. Finally, he decided that since it might take her a moment to compose an adequate response, he rummaged through his dresser and pulled out the same V-neck from _that_ day. Then he remembered, and decided that didn't make a great impression. Trouble was, everything else was in the laundry. But if he was going to see her again..._James you're getting ahead of yourself. Maybe you should wait and see if she __**actually**__ wants coffee. Then you can go out and a) do the laundry or b) buy a new shirt._ James knew it would likely/probably/almost definitely be choice B, but he liked to at least pretend in his head that he was a mature, responsible adult.  
His phone chimed again much quicker than he expected.  
_-'Sthat so. Shame. I've already got a date every day in the next month or so, but if you put your name on the waiting list I expect you could receive your deluxe package (coffee & movie of choice) by the end of next month.  
_He laughed out loud. This girl was great.  
_-Evans, if that's your deluxe package, that's pathetic. I'd expect at least a good snog or two in there somewhere, eh?_  
_-Don't get ahead of yourself Potter._  
Deciding that Lily was way too competitive to give up the charade first, he decided to be a gentleman (sort of) and finally ask her to coffee.  
_-Anyway, __**do**__ you want to grab coffee? Free all day. :)_  
Well. He would have to somehow wiggle his way out of the basketball game but he suspected it wouldn't be too hard. He was still elated that Lily had texted him, if he could accomplish that, he was King of the World and could do absolutely anything.  
_-I'm sorry Mr. Potter, you can add yourself to the waiting list or find another girl. Your spot is #57. Thank you for your interest in Lily Evans._  
_-I don't want to find another girl._

_-I don't want to find another girl.  
_Lily's breath hitched. This wasn't a big deal, right? It's just a text. Just a text from an idiot boy. But it had been a long time since she'd had a boy say something of the sort to her. After her break up shortly after high school graduation with her boyfriend, all she'd gotten in uni had been suggestive remarks and boys trying to take her home after the club. Lily hated beer, it tasted gross and made her feel powerless. Wine was another story — she'd never turn down a glass of red — but so far Lily's university experience had been watching her stupid mates get smashed and fling panties across the room. Not that she was a complete killjoy, but past 2 am it was usually hopeless and she would go home with only a minor hangover the next morning.  
But James was different. This was the second time he'd shown her that he wasn't like the boys at her uni. _Stop it Lily. He's 19 and probably just looking for a summer fling. Just play along for now._  
Unsure of how to reply, she waited for a moment before sending her text.

_-Er, I suppose today works alright.  
_James jumped up and punched the air. He'd finally gotten dressed to try and keep his hands busy to take his mind off the heavy text he'd just sent. He knew Lily had taken her time digesting that one, and he hoped he hadn't upset her.  
_-Great! I can pick you up around 3? My mates have a basketball game they have tix to, so Sirius won't be able to screw anything up for me by stalking us. (I'm sorry that just gave you a terrible impression of my friends)  
-lol. How would you know where to pick me up?  
-Er—right. Could you tell me the general area of where you live? Not stalking you, promise. ;)  
_

_-Hah. How am I supposed to believe that? You practically forced your number on me three days ago. Anyway, just meet me at the corner of 100th Street and Madison Ave. 3pm. Don't be late. ;) _Her thumb hovered over the send button before she took a leap of faith and pressed it. _  
Should I have added the wink or not? Over thinking it Lily! Nbd. Calm._  
It was 9, so Lily still had lots of time for her run and a nice lunch before she went on a — date. She really did need a haircut. _Perhaps I'll dye it blond, see if he's still interested,_ she thought with a smile. Her phone buzzed.  
_-Got it. Can't wait. :D_

"What do you mean, you can't go?" Remus cried during brunch at their flat. Sirius had gotten home with only a minor scrape on his chin, which he swore wasn't from a crash, and Peter had finally lolled out of bed at around 11. Dorcas, who was a wonderful cook, had taken pity on the boys and cooked them delicious French toast and bacon, which they had devoured in about five minutes.  
"I — er — well I haven't seen Mary in years, and I just bumped into her this morning as I went out to buy a new shirt, no clean ones you see —" Sirius snorted. "—and she suggested coffee and it seemed rude to turn her down, and we were pretty good friends during primary school —"  
"James, can't you reschedule? I've had these tickets for ages," said Remus with a frown.  
"Well, why don't you take Dorcas? She might be _distracting_ but I suspect you're not so much interested in the game as in the cheerleaders..."  
"JAMES! Dorcas, you know he's kidding right?"  
"Chill, Remus. It's fine. And I know you haven't actually invited me, but I'd love to go."  
"Oh. Ok then, it's settled I suppose?"  
James silently said his prayers. He wasn't quite ready to tell them about Lily. Sirius would more than poke fun at him, he was convinced that serious relationships were for tossers and that he and James weren't supposed to grow up. University was just Sirius' _element_, he finally was able to get away from his family permanently and live with no regrets. And however many times James told himself to not get his hopes up, he really, _really_ hoped that this would become more than a summer fling. Seeing as what he said to Lily was true (Sirius was likely to stalk James on his first date and make sure he made a fool of himself), he decided to keep it a secret for now.

At around 2pm, Lily stood in Alice's bedroom, fresh from a shower. She had done everything possible to keep her mind off of James Potter, and so far she had been failing miserably.  
She'd decided to skip the haircut, but she'd gotten her nails done, ran for an hour, baked brownies, and gone shopping. Marlene had called her and said Benjy was "_wonderful"_ but had thankfully left it at that. Everywhere Lily went, she'd been reminded of the mischievous boy. The cashier who'd run up her purchases looked like him. The glasses on her manicurist were shaped just like James'. Her red running shirt reminded her of James' V-neck. She stood in front of the full length mirror trying to decide how to wear her hair, up, down, braided? She decided on a loose braid. Whatever was she going to wear? She didn't want it to look like she cared too much (but clearly she did if she was thinking about it) It was hot out, so short shorts were called for. Finally, Lily found a cute tank top with a heart design on it. Pinning a flower to her hair and applying some eyeliner, she sighed. She didn't know what to expect. Grabbing her phone and plugging in her earphones, Lily turned on some music and flopped down on the couch.  
Just then, Alice came in.  
"Alice!" squeaked Lily. "Why are you home early?"  
"What, not pleased to see me, love?" laughed Alice. "Kick boxing got canceled because my instructor's sick. I was thinking we could grab lunch? Marlene's spending the day with Benjy. We could see a movie."  
"Er—"  
Alice frowned after a lengthily pause. "Lily what's up? You looked dressed to go out!" She brightened suddenly. "Is it him? Is it that boy? Oh I _knew_ you'd exchanged numbers! You looked far too happy after that lunch. Ooh, a date! Exciting! Well, I'll shut up now, but first: who called who?"  
Lily looked up exasperatedly at Alice. "You're too smart for your own good, since I'm about to dismember you and fling your body from the balcony," she growled, albeit not very angrily. "And it's not a date, just coffee," she added huffily.  
"That definitely means you called him first!" said Alice gleefully.  
"Well, he gave _me_ his number! And you'd better not tell Marlene about this yet, or I'll dismember your cat as well as you!"  
"You wouldn't!" Alice mock-gasped. She loved Eddie more than anything else in the world.  
"Yes. And I'll make gloves out of his pelt."  
"Okay, okay. My lips are sealed. Why though? Do you expect this to be — serious?"  
"No! I just don't want Marlene to stalk me and embarrass me so that I'm forced to crawl into a hole and hibernate for a decade."  
"Wow. Okay then. I see this is important. Well, run along now. Enjoy your not-a-date."  
"I will thanks. Or I won't. Whichever annoys you more."  
Alice giggled. "See you later, you great big prat. Don't get married or anything." And with a final wave, she retreated into her room. Lily looked at the clock, which read 2:30. She'd better get going, it was quite the walk to 100th Street. The whole way she hoped, _prayed_ that she wouldn't be disappointed.

James saw her approaching a block away. He couldn't believe his eyes, she was even more beautiful than she had been on the train. Her braid was loosely draped over her shoulder, and the red glinted in the sunlight. She caught sight of him and smiled.  
"Hey! You're early! Alright, where are you taking me to, fabulous Mr. Potter?"  
James grinned. "We'll, there's this nice French café not too far from here, 'round 97th street?"  
"Sure."

They walked a bit, and Lily felt distinctly awkward. They hadn't exactly had what you'd call a _normal_ conversation during their total of 3, so she wasn't sure what to say. All she knew about this boy was that he was British.  
"I know this is an odd question, but I don't know much about you. Where in Britain do you study?" she asked tentatively.  
"London. Right in the center." He grinned at her. "You?"  
"Bristol. But my dad lives on the outskirts of London."

James felt his heart give a little dance. Maybe he wouldn't have to say goodbye, surely Lily came to visit her dad. He smiled at Lily, and asked her what she liked to do.  
"Draw, mostly. Write. Read. I mean, practically, I'm probably going to work in communications, because my dad doesn't want me to be a starving artist or writer," she added with a frown. "And you?"  
"Ah," said James, unsure of what to say. His parents had always been supportive of his ambitions in high school, until he expressed the desire to be a professional football player.  
"I'd love to play football, but I don't think my parents would be overly thrilled. My step-dad wants me to join the firm he works at." James made a face, he hated his step-dad's firm. Everyone was so stuck up.  
"What does he do?"  
"The firm's called DRJ Software," he replied, carefully avoiding the actual question. "Don't know if you've heard of it. It's hella expensive, and basically only rich prats use it, but there's enough of a consumer base that it keeps going."

James hadn't say anything about his economic status, but Lily could tell he was _rich_. Everyone had heard of DRJ Software, and getting a job there was incredibly difficult and selective. In fact her dad had ranted and raved about the CEO of the company, some deal a while ago hadn't worked out and her dad had ended up on the wrong side of things. But she chose to ignore this, after all, James didn't seem to be arrogant about his wealth, he almost seemed to resent it.  
They entered the restaurant and were seated. Lily realized this wasn't just coffee, it was a _fancy_ French _restaurant_.  
"So, do you play football for your university? I have to admit, I haven't been terribly interested but maybe you've played against my school, Bristol University."  
"Ah, yes. Forgive me, you lot are rubbish. We beat you easily last year."  
"Ohoho, I see. Team MVP, are we?"  
"Not yet. It was just my first year. I may be fabulous," he smirked "but there are wayyyyy better payers on the team. The MVP usually goes to a senior."  
"Glad to see you're modest as well as athletic," said Lily smiling.  
"Yes, modesty is one of the things that makes me a very eligible bachelor."  
"Bachelor, you? Puh-lease, don't tell me you haven't got 5 girls on the side," she grinned.  
"No, actually," his voice suddenly changing.  
_There he goes again! Making me feel special! Funny, but still showing off. What is it with this guy? Does he think I'm an easy 'catch'?_  
Thankfully, a distraction arrived in the form of the server. After ordering, they resumed conversation as if nothing had happened.  
Lily told him about her cat, Lucy, the art galleries she'd worked for and had her work displayed in, her dorm on campus with Marlene, her work for photography studios in the summer, and her ambition to be fluent in French by the end of next summer.  
He told her all about his university, the apartment he shared off-campus with his friends Sirius, Remus, and Peter, the vacation he was spending with them New York, his summer job at the animal shelter, the poems he loved to write, and how he absolutely adored swimming and the beach.  
Lily grinned. She loved the beach too. He made her laugh until tears leaked out of her eyes, he sent shivers down her spine when his hand brushed hers when they both reached for the salt shaker, and his intense gazes made her pleasantly uncomfortable, if that's even possible.  
"And then, I come back to an exasperated Remus and a rolling-on-the-floor laughing Peter next to an _angry_ security guard. Apparently Sirius thought it hilarious to pose with and French kiss a statue of a naked women in the Africa & Oceania exhibit!"  
Lily chortled with laughter, she even knew the exact statue James was describing the Metropolitan Museum, having spent the greater part of 3 days there.  
When the check came, James absolutely refused to let her pay.  
"If it was coffee, I'd be okay with it! But we ate nearly $40 worth of food! I can't let you pay!" she protested.

"Never," he grinned wickedly. After all, she was amazing. He could tell her nature was kind, but fiery. She was intelligent but plenty wild and fun. A free spirit. He couldn't believe his luck.

As they walked to the subway station, James stopped her at the corner.  
"I had a great time today, I hope you did too. I'm so glad I didn't screw this up."  
Lily gazed at him curiously. He looked a little too relieved. Was he hiding something?  
"James?"  
"Yeah?"  
"What's up? Don't lie to me."  
He took a huge breath.  
"I didn't think you'd be so willing to give me a chance. You treated me — so nicely. I kept waiting for you to leap out of your seat and tell me you'd had enough."  
"Why? I'm really sorry I was harsh the first time. I didn't mean it. I just hate being embarrassed." Lily scanned his face, inching forward.  
"No, no. It's just, well, I shouldn't be saying this, but I think I have to. The things you said about me that day, they're true. Or, they used to be. I was a mean kid. I _was_ arrogant and obnoxious and my parents could solve any of my problems because they had money. I've been trying hard to change ever since I met my mates in high school and they gave me a chance and set me straight and I'm sorry that I'm spilling my guts and telling this all to you, but you're just so genuine that I want you to like the real me. I haven't wanted to be with anyone in a long time, but I mean it when I say you're special. I hope I've changed but I don't know," he finished with a sigh, and looked down.

Lily didn't quite know what to say. She finally knew why he unnerved her so much, even though he seemed to be wonderful. He was much more complex than she had foreseen, though she'd sensed it. But she was Lily Evans, and she believed the best in everyone.  
"I can deal with it," she said. In an effort to lighten the mood, she added, "At least for one more date."  
James finally looked up, a huge smile threatening to break his face in half. He pushed a lock of Lily's hair behind her ear.  
"You're beautiful, Lily Evans."  
Lily grinned. "Not so bad yourself, Potter."

He took her small hand in his, and they walked down the steps to the train platform.  
"Oh, there's my train! Gotta run!" She looked back at James apologetically, and he smiled at her.  
"I'll call you!" he cried, and the automated train announcement said, "Stand clear of the closing doors, please," just as she leapt between them. He kept looking at her beautiful hair and happy face as the train pulled out of the station.

Lily kept looking at his waving hand and muscled arms and smiling, handsome face, and had no trouble in admitting to herself that she was disappointed that he hadn't tried to kiss her.

* * *

**A/N: Review! Please! :)**

I know this is significantly longer than the last one, I can honestly say I've no idea how the coming chapters will vary in length. Still estimated at 4-5 chapters. Look for the next one to be up by the end of June. Anticipate some drama!

Tell me: what was unnecessary/too rambly?

xoxo

(ps I've no idea if I'll be able to work in 'stand clear of the closing doors, please' each chapter, but I just threw it in this time for the hell of it.)


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